Lowe’s vs. Home Depot Black Friday Deals

3 min readBoth Lowe’s and Home Depot are offering tons of deep discounts on tools and appliances during Black Friday. To compare them head-to-head, we looked at comparable sales on specific products from each to see which offered better value.Home Depot’s sales mix traditional discounts with bundled options and buy-one-get-one deals, while Lowe’s focus is largely on basic sales.Stop stacking up tools and appliances in your wishlist and get ready to pull the trigger. Black Friday sales are live for tons of top items, including power tools, hand tools, larger appliances, and more at Lowe’s and Home Depot. That said, between the two established hardware stores, which one is offering better deals?The answer is complicated and boils down to a few key questions: What exactly are you looking for, and how much do you need? While both offer discounted power tools, Home Depot offers its biggest savings when you buy multiple items. Lowe's, on the other hand, focuses more on traditional discounts on single tools. Take a look at some of the sales we highlight below.Home Depot vs. Lowe’s Black Friday DealsBefore you read on, it’s important to clarify that both retailers offer bundle deals, straight discounts, and buy-one-get-one offers. In fact, they even have a few sales that are quite similar to one another like the DeWalt cordless 20-volt drill which is 80 dollars off the retail price at both Lowe’s and Home Depot.However, a lot of the best deals we saw at Lowe’s were simple discounts while Home Depot had a lot more based on getting additional tools free with purchase.Lowe’s Offers Simple DealsWe typically lean toward Lowe’s over Home Depot because that simplicity tends to leave more money in your wallet. If all you’re buying is one drill, you can get it on sale at Lowe’s without needing to buy a single additional item to maximize the savings. While you might not save the same percentage compared to the retail price, you’ll spend fewer total dollars, which, to us, feels like the true bottom line.For instance, this Craftsman nailer that is $60 off comes with no charger or battery. If you already own Craftsman power tools, this is no problem at all. In fact, it lowers the total price of your purchase.Similarly, the Craftsman steel tool chest, which is being discounted $120 dollars doesn’t come with additional hand tools or accessories. Just a plain old tool chest at a massive discount.Home Depot Offers Larger Kit SavingsIf you want to reset your tool selection, Home Depot offers deals on larger bundles. Many of its best Black Friday sales aren't standalone discounts; they're built around add-ons. If you buy one combo kit, you can get an additional power tool from the brand for free.A great example of this is the Milwaukee combo kit. The kit includes a Packout rolling toolbox, hammer drill, impact driver, grinder, and reciprocating saw, plus two batteries and a charger. On top of the 42-percent discount, the kit includes a “free” 18-volt battery pack that typically retails for around 230 bucks. This further adds to the savings, but it comes with the caveat of making a large, multi-tool purchase.The Bottom LineShopping at either Lowe’s or Home Depot during Black Friday will get you a ton of good deals. You can’t make a serious mistake either way. However, we lean a little more toward Lowe’s because it's often cheaper overall if you only want a few specific items. The best savings will come from buying only what you need instead of chasing the biggest discounts. Lowe’s offers the best chance to leave without feeling like you got a few fluff pieces you didn’t really need.More Black Friday DealsTom Price is a reviews editor for Popular Mechanics while also contributing to Runner's World, Best Products, and Bicycling. Here at Popular Mechanics, Tom loves testing out home appliances, smart tech, gear for city life and outdoor adventures, small gadgets like watches and multitools, and anything else you can find piled up at his hoarder's nest of a desk. Prior to working here, Tom attended NYU, graduating with a degree in English and a minor in creative writing. He also wrote for Best Reviews, The Daily Beast, and other publications covering tech, fitness gear, gadgets, and lifestyle products. Furthermore, he covered startup news, pop culture, and even professional wrestling. To follow more of his work, check back here for new stories.